Looking for a fun activity for the family? Consider renting a pontoon boat! Pontoon boats are spacious and stable, providing a comfortable and safe environment for families to enjoy the water. Many rental companies offer a variety of sizes and options, so you can find the perfect boat for your group. Pack a picnic lunch, bring some fishing gear, or simply relax and soak up the sun. With a pontoon rental, you’re sure to create unforgettable memories with your loved ones.
We wanted to explore our area in a different way so in June we decided to rent a pontoon for the day. There are many different options out there to get out on the water that best suits your needs. For us, we just wanted to stay local and cruise around with friends and family. Nothing too extreme – just chill. But it worked out perfectly for all on board that included adults, teenagers, kids, and our toddler. From site seeing all of the different lake life (so many turtles!) to hitting up the sand bar to wade/swim about. Plus, so many laughs and just time to catch up after we all were in hibernation during the winter.
We went with Coldwater Lake Marina for our pontoon rental. Everything was booked and confirmed online. All of the waivers for the drivers and passengers were done digitally. The morning of they just needed a copy of our driver’s licenses and a walk-through of the pontoon to show where everything was located and any minor damages that are normal for a rental to have. A one-day rental that lasted from 10 am to sundown cost us just over $300 but that included gas, their fees, and taxes.
Now with the pontoon being a rental it obviously included their own set of rules that had to be followed. To rent/drive you must be 21 with Michigan’s boater safety certificate, or 23 without it. Our pontoon had seating for 10 people – they don’t operate by airplane rules so any person with a pulse counts to include infants. Anyone under the age of 6 must wear a life vest at all times. The marina provided life vests, but our boys have their own, so we brought them with us. No pets. No live bait. And no towing of any watersports behind the pontoon. Everything was completely understandable and reasonable.
Coldwater Lake Marina does offer rentals longer than one day so if you aren’t local and are looking to head to southern Michigan, I would highly recommend checking them out. Overall, I would give it 8 out of 10 stars. The biggest thing I wish they would have provided was the sandbar augers to keep the pontoon in place. At our first sandbar stop, there was no issue because it was Monday morning, and not a whole lot of boat traffic so we could set up using the anchor. We were far enough away from other boats that the movement of the waves didn’t really impact us at that time. However, in the evening when we wanted to stop at a different sandbar we couldn’t. It was busier and the location of that sandbar had more waves due to the boat traffic. While we tried it didn’t take long than a minute to realize it just wasn’t going to be safe or practical. The boys were pretty bummed because there were other kids their ages out fishing on that one and they wanted to go fish with them. The only other thing that would have been nice is a more detailed map of the entire chain, specifically locations that have public bathrooms, food, gas, etc. They did provide a map of low water areas which was much appreciated, and this is a bit more nitpicky, but this blog is meant to help other families plan adventures. And bathroom breaks are something all parents have to deal with.
Coldwater Lake Marina will be an option for us again, especially at that price point compared to other rental options that are within a reasonable commuting distance from Coldwater Lake. However, when we get to the point of wanting to do my watersports activities such as tubing or skiing then we will have to look elsewhere unless that is something they change with their rental policies. And even if watersports aren’t something our boys want to do (which is doubtful) this mama definitely wants to do it – as long as the water is warm enough.
So, if you don’t have family or friends with a boat and you are wanting to get out on the water – DO IT! It was such an enjoyable time and the boys have been telling anyone who will listen that they got to go out on a boat. And more specifically that they saw thousands of turtles (wasn’t really that many but it sure was a lot).
My Offroad Family 